Sealed electrical connectors are used in the automotive industry to protect electrical connections from moisture or other contaminants. Insulation displacement type contacts are advantageously used in the automotive industry for inexpensive, reliable mass termination of wires in electrical connectors. Conventional automotive sealed electrical connectors are constrained to use wire crimp technology, and require the assembly step of inserting the crimped terminal or the housing through the seal, thus risking damage to the seal. What is needed is a seal which can withstand the temperature and vibration inherent in an automotive environment, but is advantageously adapted for use with insulation displacement type contacts without diminishing its sealing performance.
A known sealed connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,335. This crimp technology connector system requires a seal having slits formed therein, but the slits are not used to enhance assembly of the electrical contacts within the assembly. Rather, the slits are used to interlock the seal with projections on the connector housing wall.
The present invention has solved the foregoing problem by providing a seal for use with an electrical connector having insulation displacement type contacts therein, but which seal is reliably operative to seal against moisture and other contaminants.